Donald Trump’s presidential campaign raised US$2.5 million at a London fundraiser, where the candidate was absent, but other allies including British politician Nigel Farage and hedge fund founder Scott Bessent made appearances, according to a person familiar with the event.
Farage, the Brexit-campaigner who announced his return to UK politics last week, has been on the campaign circuit for Trump, travelling to Iowa before the caucuses in January. As a UK citizen, Farage is not permitted to financially contribute to Trump, but can publicly express support.
Former ambassadors during Trump’s tenure were also there, including Duke Buchan, George Glass and Richard Grenell. Boxer Derek Chisora, sporting a hat with Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again”, was also spotted entering the fundraiser.
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and Cantor Fitzgerald LP CEO Howard Lutnick were also listed with Bessent as co-hosts on the fundraiser invitation but were not present. Bessent’s name has been floated as a potential Treasury secretary if Trump were to win a second term.
Campaign finance laws prohibit non-US citizens from contributing to federal elections, but Americans living abroad are allowed to raise money and donate.
Trump has been on a fundraising mission since a New York jury convicted him of falsifying business records on May 30, with recent events in Silicon Valley and Las Vegas. The campaign has raised US$115 million since the guilty verdict, according to a person familiar with the matter.
